"Emmett Till – Forensic scientists on the case that sparked America's Civil Rights Movement"

American Academy of Forensic Sciences

For more information visit http://www.aafs.org/.

Forensic Elite to Converge in Chicago at 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 63rd annual scientific meeting will take place February 21-26, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. Themed "Relevant, Reliable and Valid Forensic Science: Eleven Sections – One Academy" by AAFS President Joseph Bono, more than 3,500 national and international scientists will gather to discuss issues facing forensic science and the efforts to embrace global cooperation and consensus building among forensic professionals.

Hundreds of talks will be presented on topics from forensic psychiatry and behavioral sciences to interdisciplinary approaches to forensic science investigations of physical evidence. Workshops and meetings cover the breadth of forensic science and the compelling tasks that rely upon the cooperation of a multidisciplinary range of human, technical, medical, and scientific endeavors applied to civil disputes and criminal investigations.

Highlights include a free public lecture at 3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 20 at the Chicago Cultural Center. The program, entitled "Emmett Till – Forensic scientists on the case that sparked America's Civil Rights Movement," presents the case that shook the nation in the mid-1950s from a forensic sciences perspective.

From 9-11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23, an engaging plenary session features world-renowned attorneys Rockne P. Harmon, JD and Peter Neufeld, JD, who will debate the sensitive issues related to the reliability and validity of forensic science and the responsibility of presenting sound, reliable science in an arena that has been challenged as not being scientifically-based. The Academy will conduct a forensic science Student Academy for Chicago-area inner-city charter school students on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATION FOR JOURNALISTS: Individuals able to document a current direct connection with the news media may receive free registrations at the AAFS Registration Desk, as may journalism students by presenting letterhead- stationary certification that they are attending as part of a class activity. Everyone seeking access to any aspect of the Annual Meeting must be registered. Press attending special functions (e.g., workshops, seminars, luncheons, etc.) are required to pre-register and pay the fees designated by the pre-registration deadline.

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is a multi-disciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system. The objectives of the Academy are to promote integrity, competency, education, foster research, improve practice, and encourage collaboration in the forensic sciences.

Organized in 1948, AAFS serves a distinguished and diverse membership of 6,000 forensic science professionals who are the focal point for public information when forensic science issues are addressed in the public domain. AAFS publishes the internationally recognized Journal of Forensic Sciences. For more information visit www.aafs.org.

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SOURCE American Academy of Forensic Sciences